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greatest order to find out that she had not been abused during her slavery. She had
been companion to a noble girl and had never suffered cruelty. Jaden gave daily
thanks to the gods for that.
Jaden kept an eye out for Dersai s sons their sons who were darting here
and there in the crush of bodies, chasing other children. They were starting to get
out of hand. Jaden might have to step in&
A large hand came down and stopped the oldest boy in his tracks. He looked up
into his father s face and sagged a little. Jaden saw Dersai say something to the
little hooligan, but then the emperor grinned and bent down to kiss the top of the
tousled head. The boy nodded, smiling lovingly at his father before sliding off at a
slower speed, then taking his brother in hand along with the other children. They
disappeared into an adjoining room to start another, no doubt safer, game.
Their energy was astounding.
The Emperor s Wolf 141
Dersai looked up, met Jaden s gaze and gave his lover a roguish wink. Jaden
shook his head, but he was smiling none the less. The palace was alive with noise
and life and happiness, and it resounded in Jaden and those around him. So much
had changed and grown and improved in Tranaden over the last three years, as
though the strength of their leaders, their love, and their dedication resounded
through the lands.
Other countries, even Astoria, had become more aware of the possibility of true
peace and the lure of trade with the formerly feared Tranaden when they saw its
leader so very happy, if still unapproachable. But the consort, he was a man to talk
to stern yet personable and with the emperor s backing. Jaden had become
extremely good with public relations and had formed a team of diplomats to keep an
eye on both potential allies and threats, often nipping a problem in the bud before
the emperor even learned of it.
But all this was far from Jaden s mind at the moment. He gestured Dersai
over, drawing his emperor down for a kiss that had the crowd clapping and
whistling in a most undignified manner for those of noble blood. Dersai did not even
have the grace to blush. He merely grinned and lifted Jaden against him for a quick
grope that had the younger man flushed and breathless.
Freeing himself, Jaden smacked Dersai for appearance s sake, keeping him in
line the bad man then took his hand and led him to where the men were lifting
the birthday present into place.
Jaden and Dersai stood together with their people at their back, watching as
the painting was hung in its place of honor at the end of the row of portraits the
newest to be added but never the last.
Dersai pulled Jaden in front of him so that they stood front to back in an
intimate embrace, feeling each other s warmth and love.
Above them, the painting was bright and new. In it, Dersai in one of his
formal uniforms and high boots was portrayed sitting on the throne, legs apart in
his usual casual pose, his face calm and cool. But his eyes were clear, with only the
142 J. C. Owens
faintest bit of shadow, and the hint of a smile lay at the corner of his full lips. His
left hand crossed up over his chest and held the fingers of the uniformed man
behind him, and that man with chestnut hair and green-gold eyes had been
portrayed with a grin on his lips and love in his eyes. On his neck, bold and evident,
was a tattoo of a stylized wolf.
A beautiful brass description hung to the side of the new portrait:
Emperor Dersai Ansel Melisande IV
with His Consort, Jaden Naraith, the Emperor s Wolf
And surely that deserved a kiss.
Loose Id Titles by J. C. Owens
Gaven
Gaven 2: The Bonding
The Emperor s Wolf
Wings
J. C. Owens
J.C. Owens originally wrote historical fiction with three published books under
J.C. McGuire and still loves the genre but, having discovered the art of writing
erotic male/male fiction, is now obsessed with it. Fantasy backdrops make a
beautifully blank page to work with and J.C. only wishes that the characters were
real!
J.C. spent many years in a medieval reenactment group, learning and living
history, and that persona and experience give life to J.C s writings. Interest in even
more ancient history spurred trips to Italy, Greece, Turkey and Egypt and those
experiences also color the characters and worlds of the books.
Love of ferrets and greyhounds and all living creatures is the pivotal point
around which J.C s  real life revolves.
Most of all, J.C. loves to tell stories&
Check out J.C. s Web site at http://www.jcowensauthor.net/ [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]